


The Cure

by JordanDancerBoy



Series: The Untold Tales of Kol Mikaelson and Damon Salvatore [2]
Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Sex, Anger, Bar, Break Up, Character Death, Cheating, Compulsion, Corpses, Death, Drinking, F/M, Family, Guilt, Immortals, M/M, Major Character Injury, Multi, Oral Sex, Rough Sex, Season 4 Vampire Diaries Spoilers, The Cure, Treasure Hunting, Vampire Sex, Vampires, Violence, Witches, staking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-14
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-10-18 22:15:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10626216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JordanDancerBoy/pseuds/JordanDancerBoy
Summary: Damon Salvatore is forced to remember his life in 1914 New Orleans, and rekindles his romance with Kol Mikaelson - however, complications arise in the form of his relationship with Elena, drama in the Mikaelson Family and a treasure hunt for The Cure for immortality. Can their new romance survive?The work is set in a divergent timeline starting Season 4, Episode 11 (Catch me if You Can) and then continues from there.





	1. Remembering

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own any rights. All rights belong to Julie Plec and The Vampire Diaries TV Show and spin offs.

The bar was trashed as Damon and Jeremy walked in. Chairs were strewn across the room and shattered glass littered the floor, but those responsible were nowhere to be seen. Damon sniffed the air and could smell the pungent aroma of spilt beer, chips and blood. The pair crept into the room, but couldn’t hear anything. Damon felt his foot press lightly into a blood smear that slid it’s away through the bar towards a room out back. 

“Something’s not right.” Damon muttered, almost to himself, as they progressed along the trail of the blood smear. Damon saw Jeremy raise the crossbow in his hands up to his shoulder and scan the room, before they exited towards the storeroom out back. 

Pushing their way past the plastic sheets draped outside the Cold Storage Room out back, Damon caught sight of a mountain of corpses lying lifeless upon the floor. Damon looked and recognised several faces from the bar the night before. “Looks like we’re gonna have to find some new vampires.” Damon said, before moving forward and kicking one of the bodies, making sure it was still innate. “What a waste.”

“What the hell happened?” Jeremy inquired, following him into the room, and surveying the mess of blood spread over the walls and storage. Several of the bodies appeared to have had their necks slit and others simply had red pools dribbling out of their chests. 

“I confess.” The two were interrupted by a call from the bar. They whirled around to face the voice, which emerged through the plastic, to reveal another man, wearing a black jacket and t-shirt combination, with a bottle of bourbon in one hand. “I did it.”

“Kol?” Jeremy asked, confused how the Original had arrived at bar, and why he was here killing vampires. 

“Jeremy, good to see you, mate. Sorry about the mess. Ugh, it was a little crowded when I arrived, and I prefer more intimate gatherings. We three need to have a little chat.” Kol ambled around the entrance to the store room – blocking off the others’ escape. He paused, and took a sip from the bottle in his hand, before gesturing to the others. “Care for a drink?”

Damon slid in front, positioning himself between Jeremy and the Original. “He’s underage, and I don’t like you, so let’s just cut to it.” Damon informed him, eyeing Kol, examining his muscles, trying to see if he was going to attack. Kol laughed to himself before taking another drink. 

“You know, my brother bragged about his plan to complete Jeremy’s Hunter’s Mark. It was easy enough to track this lot down. They were all hiding in the shadows. Now, killing young vampires is easy,” Kol said, squaring off against Damon, so their eyes met and Damon could sense slight tension building, “or old ones, for that matter.” Damon stiffened at Kol’s proximity. 

“What’s it to you either way?” Damon inquired, taking a half step back. 

“Because, you fools, in your zeal to find the cure, you risk waking someone very dangerous.” Kol replied swinging the bottle wildly. 

“Oh,” Damon said, finally realising Kol’s motives there. “You must be talking about Silas.” Kol straightened up at the name. 

“What do you know of him?”

“Nothing. Don’t want to. Not our problem.” Damon replied. 

“Isn’t it?” Kol replied, taking another swig, but keeping his eyes fixed on Damon. 

“Uh-Uh.” Damon said, moving backwards away from the Original’s stare, and he heard a barely audible snigger as Kol watched his retreat. He began pacing as Damon paused in front of Jeremy. 

“A few hundred years back, I came across a group that worshipped Silas. His followers told me that he would rise again, and when he did, he would trigger the end of all time.” Kol froze. “You know, being an immortal, you can see why I am opposed to time’s ending.” Kol took a swig of the drink and began to pace again. “So I murdered all of them. And now, here you are willing to risk raising him in your search for the cure.” He paused. “I can’t exactly sit back and let that happen, can I?” The room was silent, as Jeremy tensed around the crossbow and Damon clenched his fists. 

“We’re not going to back off the cure ‘cause you were told one too many scary bedtime stories, you idiot.” Damon joked taking a stride towards the Original. Kol planted his fist into his chest, sending him tumbling backwards into the racks beside him. 

“Jeremy, we were mates in Colorado.” Kol said, turning his attention to the other man for the first time. “You’re a smart lad. Why don’t you call off this imbecilic treasure hunt?” Kol said smiling at the teen. Jeremy tensed his finger around the crossbow trigger. 

“I’m not calling anything off, mate.” Jeremy replied, his eye looking down the scope. Kol stared back at him, his gaze stern until he burst into a smile. 

“Well I could kill you,” He laughed, “but then, I’d have to deal with the Hunter’s Curse. And I don’t particularly feel like being haunted for the next century.” Kol continued to pace, then paused, suddenly clear. “Better Idea. I’ll rip off your arms.” Kol rushed forward towards Jeremy, but found Damon crashing into his path and forcing Kol into a stack of food, before pulling back and head-butting him. 

“Jeremy, run!” Damon called, landing his fist into Kol’s face several times, as Jeremy dashed out of the room. Damon landed another hit, before his fist was grabbed by Kol, and he was whirled around into a tight embrace, Kol’s arm locked around his head. 

“I think we need to a have a little chat, love.” Kol said, before wheeling Damon back around to face him. Damon struggled a little once he was free of the immediate grip, but felt his eyes latching on to Kol’s. Kol’s eyes pierced into his own. “Damon, I want to you to remember 1914. I want you to remember how we felt in New Orleans, when we first met.” Kol watched as Damon’s eyes swelled with memories. His expression changed from aggressive to confused, and his body gently relaxed. Kol released Damon, who stood motionless for a moment, before Kol took a step closer to him. 

Damon looked up and met Kol’s gaze, before lurching forward towards him. The pairs’ lips met in a frantic collision of passion, as Damon’s memories came rushing back to him. Damon’s hand weaved into Kol’s hair, whilst his other clung to the small of his back, pulling the Original in closer. The touch of his body felt oddly familiar to Damon, as his memories changed into vivid emotions, and he felt himself relaxing into the other vampire’s hold. 

“Kol.” He whispered, their mouths parting for a second as Damon looked into the other’s eyes truly for the first time in a century. 

“I’ve missed you.” Kol informed him, before they kissed again. Kol forced Damon against one of the walls to the storeroom, crushing the vampire between the cold stone and his own colder skin. Kol yanked Damon’s leather jacket off and threw it to the ground beside him. Kol kissed down Damon’s neck to arrive at his collarbone gently biting down, before returning to the other man’s lips. Damon reciprocated the affection, before pulling away slightly. 

“Elena.” Damon remembered, suddenly drawn back to the present. Kol paused as Damon’s body stiffened. 

“The Gilbert, of course.” Kol said, whipping his mouth clean. 

“I need to go to her.”

“If you need to.” Kol informed him, moving back over to his bourbon and taking a swing. Damon grabbed his jacket and moved for the exit. Kol grabbed his arm as he did and locked eyes with him. “Stop the hunt for the Cure. Please.” Damon couldn’t tell if he was being compelled or Kol was actually begging, but deep down he knew he needed to stop and at least listen to what Kol had to say. 

“I will.” Damon replied before heading into the bar and out of the building.


	2. No Amount of Guilt Can Change the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damon returns to the Gilbert House, but is wracked with thoughts about Kol and Elena.

By the time Damon arrived back at The Gilbert House it was dark. Jeremy had driven off in the car, and Damon had been too distracted to compel himself a ride, so he’d walked back from the lake house. Damon could barely register the aching in his legs or the cramp in his feet over the hum of his mind, still swirling with the new memories flooding his thoughts, and he couldn’t concentrate on what he would say to Elena when she opened the door. 

Damon’s memories fluttered between his meeting Kol in the bar in New Orleans and feeding off a random woman, then fighting with Marcel. Damon felt a burning hatred spark as the faces of Marcel, Mary-Alice, Josephine and the other witches flashed in front of his eyes, tearing him back to the past. They were all dead, he thought, he’d seen to half of their deaths personally. What had happened to Kol? He knew he’d been compelled to leave, but he still felt a sense of guilt for abandoning Kol and Freya to be daggered by Klaus, and a rage began to build in the pit of his stomach until he remembered it was all over. The century old memories brushed into Damon’s consciousness as if they had been made yesterday, and the lustful urges he found himself feeling were as real as they had been 100 years ago. 

“Damon? Are you okay?” Elena’s voice called to him, stepping over the threshold to the house as she emerged to greet him. Damon’s body was still numb and confused as Elena’s arms wrapped around him. “What happened?” She asked.

“Kol happened.” He informed her, before walking around her and into the house. He wandered into the kitchen and heard Elena close the door behind him, and wander after him. Damon paused, leaning on the counter for support as Elena entered the room. 

“At least you both got away, Jeremy’s fine, he’s at the Grill.” Elena informed him, placing her hands on his shoulders, and feeling Damon stiffen at her touch. She retracted and glided around the counter to look at him face to face. “Damon, what’s wrong?” Damon snapped back, meeting her stare and faintly smiling back at her. 

“Nothing…I…I just remembered some things from years ago.” He said, stuttering on his words as he pushed off the table and went to grab a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet next to the living room. 

“What was it?” Elena pressed, speeding into the other room, trailing him. 

“It doesn’t matter.” Damon said, opening the bottle and taking a deep swig. 

“Damon, trust me.” She commanded as she took his head in her hands, pulling him down for a kiss. Damon wriggled free and moved into the living room, taking another drink from the bottle in his hand. Elena stamped after him. “Damon, what’s up with you? It’s like you’ve seen a ghost, just tell me what’s wrong.” Elena said, her voice a harsh bawling cry as she grabbed on to his wrist. 

“I can’t.” Damon yelled throwing the bottle against the wall, sending shards clattering to the floor. Elena flinched back in momentary fear of his rage, before taking a step back towards him. Damon took a deep inhale and calmed himself. “I can’t, Elena, I just need to think.” He informed her, going to sit down on the sofa. Elena slid down beside him. Elena placed her hand gently on his shoulder and pulled his head down on to her shoulder. Damon relaxed on to her, as her hands tangled into his hair and gently stroked it, trying to soothe him. 

“It’s okay – whatever it is – you’re here with me, and now we can focus on getting the Cure.” She said gently, continuing to toy with his hair. Damon wrenched upright. 

“No.”

“What do you mean ‘no’?” Elena asked. 

“We need to stop looking for The Cure.” He said launching off the sofa. 

“No, Damon, that’s what we’ve been trying to do for weeks.” Elena said, incredulous of his flippant dismissal of their task. “I need that cure, or Jeremy’s going to want to kill me for the rest of our lives!” 

“You don’t understand Elena, we just need to stop and think about Silas and if this is worth it.”

“Silas? Damon, since when have you cared about fairy tales?” Elena spat out, angered by his sudden defection from the plan. “Silas isn’t real, and if he is, we’ll stop him.”

“How can you say that? We don’t know anything about him, how do we know that this cure isn’t just a trap to free Silas?” Damon replied, pacing the room, his mind alight with sudden thoughts and fears of what Kol had told him. 

“Damon, you’re being ridiculous, what’s gotten into you.” Elena said, stretching her hand out towards his face. Damon took her hand and pulled it down to his side before looking her in the eyes. 

“I want to you to stop searching for the cure.” Damon said looking into her eyes. “Promise me you’ll stop.” Elena stopped, her mouth slightly ajar as her mind stumbled over the command. 

“Okay…. Okay Damon, I’ll stop looking.” She said before sitting back down, her face suddenly pale and lifeless. Damon slumped down beside her and kissed her on the cheek. 

“I need to go.” He told her, suddenly standing up and making to leave the room. Elena remained seated. “You should go and check on Jeremy, make sure that he’s okay after today, I was pretty hard on him.” Damon saw Elena nod before she began to stand. “Thank you.” He said before opening the door. 

“I love you, Damon.” She called from the living room. 

“I…You too.” He replied sheepishly, before closing the door behind him and walking into the night. He wasn’t sure what he needed, but he knew he wasn’t going to find it there. The air was cold and it sent a shiver down his spine. His black jacket was still in his hand, having not put it on since Kol had taken it off. Damon looked at it, before throwing it on the soil beside him. He turned back towards the house, peering through the blinds to see Elena slowly ambling through the house. He knew he should go back inside and talk to her, but deep down he didn’t know what he was going to tell her. He turned and walked down the street into the night, not entirely sure where he was going.


	3. Forgetting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elena goes to The Grill to complete her promise to Damon, but Jeremy and Stefan take matters into their own hands with the help of Rebekah.

The Grill was quiet when Elena arrived and upon scanning the room she found Matt standing by a podium in the centre. As she walked over towards him, she saw he was busy arranging menus and she sauntered up to him, hopeful he’d lead her to Jeremy. 

“Matt, how are you?” She asked, still surveying the room for Jeremy. 

“Besides almost being killed, yeah, I’m fine Elena. Where’s ‘teacher of the year’?” He asked bitterly, not turning to face her, instead focusing on the pages in front of him. 

“He left,” Elena mumbled out, “Matt, you know Damon wouldn’t purposefully have put you in harm’s way, right?” She asked, gently resting her hand on his shoulder, and trying to get him to turn towards her. She succeeded in turning him, but as he wheeled to face her she found his face filled with rage. 

“Whether he meant to or not, I almost died Elena, because he made a stupid deal with Klaus.” Matt said shrugging out of her touch. “And the fact you can’t see that Damon doesn’t care about us, proves that you’re blinded by him.”

“Matt, you don’t need to be like that, I know him, he wouldn’t hurt any of my friends.” Elena interrupted, trying to calm him down. 

“Really?” Elena heard a high-pitched voice call over her shoulder. “Because I’ve never thought of ‘caring’ high on Damon’s list of priorities.” Elena turned around to see Stefan and Rebekah standing behind her. Rebekah had her hand linked through Stefan’s arm and was resting gently on him, like a cat marking her territory. Elena went to correct her, but Rebekah simply rolled her eyes and walked across the room to an empty booth. Elena opened her mouth to talk to Stefan, but he interrupted her before she could. 

“What happened today?” 

“Kol tried to kill Jeremy and Damon, they’re okay though.”

“Right.” Stefan said, instantly disengaged at the mention of Damon. “Well, I need to get a drink.” He told her before moving to sit with Rebekah. Elena almost moved after him, but stopped herself and turned back to Matt, who hadn’t moved. 

“Where’s Jeremy?”

“I think he’s outback.” He informed her, gesturing in the direction with his head as he reshuffled the menus for the 20th time. Elena paused to try and console him further, but decided against it, instead going to find Jeremy. She walked out back and found Jeremy sorting through shelves of food. 

“Jeremy?” Elena asked, expecting him to be in a foul mood like the others, but as Jeremy turned, he had an apologetic look upon his face. 

“Elena, I’m sorry for earlier, you’re right. I trust you, and if you trust Damon, then we can go and get the Cure.”

“We’re not getting the Cure.” She informed him. Jeremy stopped checking the stacks and moved to face her, examining her face for any kind of expression, but Elena was blank and lifeless still. 

“Elena, you’re not serious right?” He said, taking her hands in his own. “If we don’t find that Cure, you’ll be a vampire forever, and I’ll always have this hunger.” Jeremy paused, sensing his vampire-rage building inside him. “Elena. We need to find the Cure.”

“Jer, we have to stop. Damon’s right it’s too dangerous.” Jeremy stopped at Elena’s mention of Damon. 

“So this was his idea?” Jeremy asked, suddenly understanding and releasing her hands. “Elena, he’s controlling you, you know that you want to find the Cure.”

“No, Jeremy, we need to let it go.” Elena said storming out of the stockroom, back into the main bar. Jeremy followed her quickly, emerging through the doors and watching as she disappeared into the rest of the people in The Grill. Jeremy instead saw Stefan and Rebekah sat in their booth in the corner. Both had drinks in front of them and were casually chatting. Jeremy immediately made his way over towards them, realising he needed back up if he was going to help Elena. He hovered next to their table, and after a moment of Rebekah not recognising his existence, Stefan finally turned to look up at him from his seat. 

“What’s the matter Jeremy?” He asked, sliding his drink away. 

“It’s Elena-”Jeremy began.

“No.” Rebekah interrupted. “I’m not dealing with that girl anymore today, whatever your problem is why don’t you go and solve your little family squabble somewhere else.” She finished before taking a sip from her glass. Jeremy turned from Rebekah, focusing solely on Stefan. 

“It’s Damon, he did something to her. He told her to stop searching for the cure.”

“Why would he do that?” Stefan asked, only half-caring. 

“I don’t know.” Jeremy began, then he suddenly remembered that Damon had been alone in the bar. “Maybe Kol compelled him to, or something.” Rebekah almost laughed at the suggestion. 

“Compelling people to have a discussion isn’t really Kol’s style.” She informed them. “He’d be much more likely to simply go and rip your sister’s head off.” Rebekah paused, and a smile broke over her face as Jeremy could see her mentally imagine the sight. Jeremy went back to ignoring her. 

“Whatever it is, we need to stop her, and make her see sense.”

“Why is that? One less person searching for the Cure sounds good to me.” Rebekah interrupted again, and Jeremy moaned at her intrusion. 

“Because if Elena isn’t going after the cure, then neither am I. And without a hunter, you’ve got nothing.” Jeremy threatened staring Rebekah dead in the eye. She remained unmoved, but Stefan stiffened up. 

“What do you want us to do Jeremy?” He asked, as he turning his full attention to the hunter. 

“Rebekah, compel her to forget what Damon said or make her want to go after the Cure again.” Jeremy suggested, earning a smug laugh from the Original. 

“You’re joking right? That’s not the way Compulsion works, I can’t just undo his commands.” She informed them. 

“But you could make her forget him.” Stefan interrupted. “Like you threatened to do with me and Elena?” Rebekah’s expression suddenly dropped and became very serious at Stefan’s outburst. 

“It’s not that simple, Stefan, it’s not like compelling you to get me a drink, I’d be compelling away every good feeling she ever had for him.” Rebekah said, watching a pained look cross Stefan’s face at the idea of his brother and Elena’s affection. 

“But you can do it?” Jeremy interjected. Rebekah looked between the pair’s pleading faces, and considered the situation for a minute. 

“If I do, you promise to help me get the Cure.” She asked Jeremy. The boy nodded after a second, deciding that Elena’s freedom was more important than her hatred of Rebekah. Rebekah smiled at her victory and stood up, with Stefan following suit. “Bring her out back.” Rebekah disappeared towards the stockroom, with Stefan following her. Jeremy turned and walked away, trying to find Elena in the crowd. He found her sat by the bar sipping at a drink. 

“Elena, can I borrow you.” He asked signalling for her to follow him. She cautiously stood up and followed him out back towards the stockroom, stopping with him at the door. Jeremy turned back to look at her. “I love you.” He said, before entering inside, with her following. Once through the door Jeremy heard Stefan grab Elena, who struggled slightly. 

“Jeremy? Jeremy what’s happening?” She asked as Stefan gripped her tighter. Rebekah emerged and walked forward so she was looking her dead in the eyes. 

“Hello Elena, this might hurt a little bit, but it’ll be for the best in the long term. I want you to relax and tell me the truth.” Elena’s body relaxed in Stefan’s arms and he released her. 

“I understand.” Elena replied. 

“I want you to tell me when you realised you loved Damon Salvatore.” Rebekah asked, cocking her head to the side and examining Elena’s expression. 

“It was…it was when we went on our road trip to Denver to find Jeremy, it was then I realised I was confused about how I felt.” Rebekah smiled as Stefan’s eyes darted around the room avoiding looking at Elena. 

“Good try Elena, but I think it goes a little deeper than that.” Rebekah smiled as her eyes shifted, further compelling Elena. Stefan grunted and left the room, Jeremy’s eyes darted between Rebekah and Stefan, and decided he didn’t want to watch his sister’s mind be destroyed and left. He followed Stefan out and found him pacing by the booth. 

“You okay man?” Jeremy inquired. Stefan continued silently pacing. Jeremy slipped down into the booth and watched him for a few moments, before launching up and heading back to the bar hoping to do some work to distract himself. 

*****

As the evening rolled on, Jeremy didn’t see any trace of Rebekah or Elena, and had to resist walking out back several times, but as The Grill began to quieten down, he heard the doors swing open and Rebekah strode out and towards the booth where Stefan had remained. Jeremy dashed over to them. 

“Did it work?” He asked, almost at the same time as Stefan. 

“It’s done, all she’ll remember is that she was confused about how she felt for Damon, but now she realises she didn’t love him,” Rebekah smiled and downed her drink, “and she never did.” She turned to Stefan. “Let’s go.” She told him. “You better get her home; her brain’s going to be a little confused.” She told Jeremy, almost sensitively, before taking Stefan’s hand and walking out of the bar. 

Elena slowly wandered out of the stockroom and towards him. Jeremy moved over to meet her. He looked at her, and she looked normal, besides an aura of tiredness which clung to her cheeks. 

“Are you okay?” He asked. 

“Yeah, my head is killing me, can we go home?” She asked him. Jeremy smiled and supported her as they moved towards the exit. He caught a sight of Matt and explained that Elena wasn’t feeling well, before helping her out. Once he’d strapped her in the car and rushed round to the driver seat Elena had almost passed out. He buckled himself in and felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Jeremy removed it and discovered a message from Stefan:

We still need to stop Kol and Damon.


	4. Between a Rock and a Fireplace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damon returns back to the Salvatore Mansion, but is interrupted by two visitors. Damon is forced to deal with his feelings for Kol and Elena.

The Salvatore Mansion was cloaked in darkness, and Damon knew that inside he would find more of the same empty space he’d been wandering in for hours, trying to work out what to say to Elena the next time he saw her. As Damon approached the door he found it ajar, allowing him to see into the dark inside. Damon slowly pushed it open and stepped in, trying to work out who was responsible for the intrusion. 

The house’s interior was still dark, except for a warm orange glow that emanated from the fireplace. Damon peered into the shadows around the fire and couldn’t initially make anything out. He scanned the room, and was blinded as the lamp by the sofa flicked on, revealing a man sat, his legs kicked up over one end of the furniture and his head propped on the other. 

“Surprise, Love. Did you miss me?” Kol called to him, still lounging on the couch. Damon relaxed at the identity of the intruder, but didn’t move into the room. Kol noted his frozen position and kicked off the sofa, standing and striding towards the other vampire. Kol slipped his arm around Damon’s waist and extended his left hand up to turn Damon’s cheek towards him. Damon took the hand off his face and pulled away from Kol’s touch. “What’s the matter?” Kol asked tracking Damon across the room. Damon remained silent, until Kol sped round to stare him face to face. Damon froze, and Kol could hear his breath falter. Kol took a step closer to the paralysed vampire, sensing Damon’s body growing hard with tension. “Damon, stop fighting.” Kol told him, before stretching his hand up towards his face again. 

“I can’t Kol.” Damon said, turning away again. 

“What’s the problem?” Kol asked, speeding to corner Damon again, this time leaning casually against the panelled walls of the living room, rather than looming in front of the Salvatore. 

“I...Kol...” Damon stumbled over his words, trying to avoid staring at the young original draped against the wall. “There’s still Elena.” Kol jumped up from the wall and walked away from Damon. 

“Of course; Elena. Have you talked to her yet?” He said throwing himself back on to the sofa. 

“I...yes.” Damon replied, moving back towards the main living room. 

“And?” Kol sat up impatiently, leaning forward to look at Damon’s expression. 

“She’s going to stop searching for the Cure.” Damon admitted, slumping down on the sofa opposite the Original.

“Then everything’s good, darling, I don’t see what the problem is?” Kol said, a wide smile across his face. Damon stared back blankly, before rising from the seat and stalking towards the door. “Where are you going?” Kol called after him as he exited the mansion and wandered on to the grass out front. Damon reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, he realised he’d left it on silent and there were three missed calls from Elena. Damon quickly fiddled with the buttons until it hummed with the dial tone. 

“Elena?” Damon asked when he heard her pick up. “I’m so sorry for earlier.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about, Damon.” Elena informed him, and Damon could sense a brash disregard in her voice. “You were just saying what you thought.” Damon waited to hear if Elena’s voice would soften but she remained silent down the other end of the phone. 

“Elena, what’s wrong?” He asked, suddenly filled with worry. 

“Nothing’s wrong Damon, I’m just starting to think straight for the first time in a while. I don’t know who I was kidding thinking I could change you Damon, I just need to accept, you are who you are.” Elena said, her tone thick with bitterness, and Damon was shocked into stillness. “I think we just need to stop.” 

“Elena, what are you saying?” Damon asked, breaking his stunned silence. 

“I’m saying goodbye Damon.” Damon listened as the phone disconnected. Damon was motionless on the lawn, the phone pressed to his ear trying to process Elena’s message.

“Trouble in paradise?” Kol’s voice called from the doorway, before Damon felt him sliding in just behind him, the air thick with his scent. Kol wrapped his arms around Damon and gently nuzzled himself into his neck. Damon tore himself from the hold and stared defiantly into the Original’s eyes. 

“Go home, Kol.” Damon said before brushing his shoulder and forcing past him into the house. As Damon walked into the living room and over to where he knew there was a bottle of scotch he had opened earlier, he heard the door shut behind him as Kol entered the room. “I thought I told you to leave Kol?” Damon said picking the bottle up and pouring himself a glass. 

“You’re starting to bore me now love, and you’ve seen what happens when I get bored.” Kol called to him, as he walked over and took a glass for himself, before almost snarling in Damon’s face. 

“I’m sorry I’m not the killer I was in 1914, it’s probably got something to do with the 100 years you missed.” Damon said downing his drink and slamming the glass down beside him. Kol paused, not rising to Damon’s verbal attack. “Why did you even give me those memories back, you’ve been undaggered for a year, and you now decide to come and ruin my life?” Damon said pouring himself another drink and wandering into the room. Kol stood, gently sipping at his drink, before turning around and slowly ambling forward. 

“I ‘ruined your life’?” Kol inquired, taking another sip. Damon sat down on the sofa drinking heavily from his glass. “I’m sorry that I inconvenienced you.” Kol said slumping down beside him. “I’m sorry that my brother daggered me, left me in a box for a century, and when I woke up I was a little busy trying to avoid getting killed by my maniacal mother to give you back your memories.” Damon stiffened despite the gentle tone in Kol’s voice. “I’m sorry that I woke up and found you hung up on a human girl who was so focused on your brother to even recognise your existence.” Kol said taking another drink before throwing his glass across the room, his anger suddenly evident in his body, if not his voice. “And I’m sorry that I thought it would be easier me not telling you, even though it was a century for you and it’s only been a year for me, and I missed you.” Kol finished his rant and leaned closer to Damon, their faces mere inches apart. Kol’s rage suddenly stopped, as he examined Damon’s face. 

Kol closed the gap between them, pushing his lips against Damon’s. Damon didn’t fight; he relaxed backwards as Kol pulled the two of them together, their bodies pressed tightly as Kol’s hand slowly moved to grip the back of Damon’s head once more. The pair swelled on top of the sofa as Damon explored Kol’s mouth, finally accepting his restored memories fully. Damon slowly opened up Kol’s jacket and began to pull it off as Kol sat upright and slipped his t-shirt off. Damon’s hands glided up Kol’s abdominals, before his right wrist clung around Kol’s neck. Damon used his body to twist so he ended up on top of Kol, before he leant down to kiss his now bare chest. 

Kol groaned at the contact, and entwined his hand in Damon’s hair, guiding him towards his nipple, where Damon began to tentatively bite. Kol pulled him up, so their eyes met, before ripping Damon’s t-shirt open with his other hand. Kol then rushed at Damon’s neck and began to leave kisses along the long ridge of his shoulder up towards his jaw. Damon slid the wreckage of his t-shirt off, before undoing his belt buckle, and allowing his jeans to slide down slightly. Kol immediately laced his hand around Damon’s length and began to gently stoke it, rhythmically, as Damon gently rocked against the Original. Damon likewise, slipped Kol’s jeans away and began to feel his shaft, strangely familiar in his hand. Kol kissed Damon passionately, and with his hand guided Damon to his rear, and slowly let him inside. Damon gasped, their kiss broken as the sensation returned to him. Kol continued to kiss along his jawline as Damon began to rock their bodies together. 

Damon wrapped his arms around Kol, so that he was bracing his bare back as he stood up from the sofa and continued to pulse into Kol as he carried him over to the fireplace. Damon’s lips traced the lines of Kol’s collarbone, whilst Kol clung his legs around Damon’s waist and dug his hands into his hair, as the vampire thrusted deeper inside. Their bodies collided with the wood, and Kol’s fingertips dug into the old oak mantelpiece as Damon’s speed quickened, and he began to gasp, inhaling Kol’s scent deeper into his lungs. Damon slowly lowered Kol on to the rug, so that his chiselled torso was bathed in the warm amber glow of the fire. Damon slid out and Kol took him in him in one hand, whilst pulling Damon down on top of him with the other, so their bodies were pressed tightly together. Damon felt himself surging all over Kol, before he planted several more kisses upon his lips. Damon then slid down, so that his mouth found Kol’s still hard erection, and swallowed it whole, seeing Kol’s body arch as a result. Damon’s head rhythmically dipped around him, as Kol moaned in pleasure, until Damon took his head away and began to jerk Kol the final few thrusts before he too erupted. 

Damon finally lay down on the rug next to Kol, and they both lay their pale bodies slowly cleansed in the warmth of the flames beside them. Kol slowly ran his finger along the ridge in Damon’s chest, and bit down on his shoulder, before working his way up to Damon’s lips again. 

“As good as you remembered it?” Kol asked a smile upon his lips, before he kissed back down Damon’s torso to lay beside him again. 

“Well, isn’t this a sight?” A voice called from the door. Damon sat bolt upright to find Rebekah looming in the dark doorway. Damon quickly grabbed his jeans to cover himself; Kol instead stood up in his full nudity and walked over towards the bottle of scotch that was still sat on the table. 

“What do you want Rebekah?” He called to her. 

“Well, I had come looking for Damon, but finding you both here is a bonus.” She informed them before moving into the main living room and sitting down on one of the sofas and acknowledging Damon on the floor. “Come on love, it’s not like I haven’t seen it before.” Damon climbed up to the opposite sofa and Kol came and sat down next to him, covering his lower half with a throw from the back of the couch. Kol sipped from his glass. Damon still sat slightly awkwardly next to Kol on the sofa avoiding Rebekah’s eyes. 

“You can relax darling, this isn’t the worse thing my sister’s caught me doing.” Kol informed Damon, before turning to his sister. “So, what did you come to talk about?”

“Well I was checking if you’d compelled poor, sweet Damon to be your puppet...but I guess it’s obvious you didn’t need to.” She said, relaxing back into the sofa, smugly watching Damon squirm on the sofa. Kol noted his reaction and turned to him.

“Why don’t you go take a shower, I’ll catch up in a minute.” Kol told him, before nodding for Damon to leave. Damon was reluctant until he caught a glimpse of Rebekah sat impatiently staring at him and he decided to get up and leave. Kol watched him walk up the stairs, and waited until he heard the shower start upstairs to begin discussing. 

“So, tell me Bekah, what did you really come here for?” Kol asked standing up to get a drink, and Rebekah gestured for him to make her one too. 

“I came to talk to Damon about how I compelled Elena.” She informed him smugly. 

“Oh Bex, you haven’t been naughty have you.” Kol said, pouring the liquid out of the decanter. 

“Only a little. I might have compelled away her feelings for Damon.” Kol paused, suddenly surprised by Rebekah’s actions. 

“And what’s in it for you?” Kol asked suddenly suspicious. 

“The Cure.” She said as he handed her a drink. 

“Ah, so I guess you haven’t come to your senses and realised it’s a fool’s quest?” Kol said nestling himself back on to the sofa. Rebekah took a sip of her drink then let out a satisfied exhale, before looking at her brother. 

“Quite the opposite actually, I’ve come to tell you that I’m going ahead, and I’ve almost got everything I need.” She sensed Kol’s glare turn hostile, and could hear the low growl building in his chest. 

“Have you not been listening to me at all, Silas will kill us all sister.” Kol said, putting his drink down and gripping his hands together. 

“Oh Kol, stop your moaning, Silas isn’t real.” She said taking another sip. Kol sped across the room, throwing her drink aside and taking her by the throat. 

“Sister, listen to me! Silas will destroy us all.” Kol spat out as Rebekah gasped. 

“Kol, stop!” Rebekah choked, before she grabbed on to his groin, which had become bare after he left the blanket on the sofa. Kol grunted and released her, as Rebekah’s grip crushed him. Kol stumbled back to sit down, and re-covered himself. 

“Why do you even want it?” Kol grunted, still clutching his throbbing crotch. 

“Why do you think?” Rebekah exclaimed. “I want to be human Kol.” 

“This isn’t the way, Bex.” Kol told her, standing back up and walking over to sit beside her, his tone, more controlled than before. “I know what you’re feeling, but it’s not worth raising Silas, just so we can try being mortal again.”

“I don’t want to ‘try’ it Kol, I’m through with this life – 900 years is too long!” She told him. 

“What about us? What about your family? What could be worth changing for?” Kol yelled. 

“Stefan.” She replied shortly. Kol paused and looked at her serious expression. “We’re going to take the cure together, so we can be human again.” Kol laughed at the suggestion. 

“You’re taking it, to be human with him?” Kol questioned in disbelief. “How quickly you forget how he’s betrayed you before – and will again.” 

“Shut up, Kol. Stefan is not his brother.” She said, sulkily standing up from the sofa and walking over to the scotch for another glass. 

“You’d really trust him that much?” Kol asked before reaching on to the floor and picking up a phone and beginning to type. Rebekah turned around to see him, and moved over to see what he was doing. 

“Kol, that’s not your phone?” She queried as he closed it. 

“No.” He replied. “It’s Damon’s.” 

“What are you trying to prove?” Rebekah asked. 

“I’m trying to show you that taking the cure with Stefan isn’t going to help you.” 

“What did you do Kol?” Rebekah asked, receiving nothing from her brother. Kol instead slumped down into the sofa and stole Rebekah’s drink, earning an annoyed   
moan from her before she got up and went to grab another one. By the time Rebekah sat back down the phone in between them vibrated. Rebekah raced Kol to grab it, but he plucked it up and opened it before she could wrap her fingers around it. Kol’s eyes scanned the screen, before handing it to Rebekah. She read ‘Damon’s message’:

I guess you heard about Elena and me? Well you know what – you’re welcome to her. I don’t know what I was thinking. You love her right? Well I guess you can prove it now. Good Luck. 

Rebekah, hastily moved on to Stefan’s reply. 

That’s low Damon, even for you, but I don’t know what I expected. You know I’ll always love Elena, and I guess now she can finally be happy. I’m gonna make sure we both take the cure and get far away from you.

Rebekah paused and let the phone slip out of her hand on to the sofa. Kol picked it back up and fiddled with the phone hastily deleting the messages. 

“That doesn’t mean anything.” Rebekah finally said, bitterly. “He’s still taking the cure with me.” Kol however simply took her head and pulled it on to his shoulder. 

“Bekah, there are only three people you can rely on in this life – and they’re your brothers.” Rebekah relaxed onto Kol’s shoulder as he hugged her gently. After a moment’s stillness, Rebekah pulled away. 

“If they want the cure so they can die together – I’ll take out the middleman.” Rebekah announced looking her brother in the face. “I’m gonna cut straight to the death part.” Kol smiled at his sister’s drastic statement. 

“That’s the Bekah I love.” He told her, before pulling her into an embrace. “Let’s get started.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sold on the Chapter name, if anyone has any suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them.


	5. Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damon is faced with a choice when Elena and Kol go head to head.

Damon let the water rush over his body, scorching his skin, and allowing the steam to encircle him. He couldn’t hear what was taking Kol so long downstairs, but he decided it was best not to get involved in the Original drama as much as he could – he’d learnt that back in 1914. Damon tried to process the mixture of emotions he had for Kol. He had two distinct sets of feelings, his 1914 affectionate memories and the begrudging resentment he’d had for the past year since he met the Original, and broke his hand. 

He gently rubbed his eyes and stepped out of the shower. He quickly wrapped himself in a towel, and left the water running. Damon wandered in to his bed and searched the pockets of his jeans for his phone, before realising it must have slipped out when he was downstairs. He quickly went to the dresser and fiddled with a new pair of underwear. Damon threw the towel onto the bed and turned to find Stefan looming in the doorway of his room. Damon straightened himself up to look at him. 

“Hello, Brother.” Damon called, to him. “What are you doing here?” 

“I just came to thank you for the text.” Stefan said wiggling his phone at him. Damon looked at him confused, his forehead furrowing and his mouth flapping slightly as he tried to understand. Stefan walked in to the room, past Damon and over to a chair in front of the desk on the far side. 

“What are you talking about?” Damon finally said, watching Stefan sit down in the corner of his room. 

“Where’s Kol? Is he here?” Stefan asked, avoiding the question, “I heard someone downstairs when I came in.”

“Yeah, he’s downstairs with Rebekah.” Damon replied, confused by Stefan’s new line of questioning. 

“Good.” Stefan replied before he stood up from the chair and picked it off the floor. Damon looked on, still bewildered, until Stefan snapped one leg off and rushed across the room, driving the jagged end into Damon’s abdomen, impaling him upon the wall, a few inches off the floor. Damon screamed in reply. Stefan wandered into the shower and turned the power up to full so the water hammered down into the basin below. “I’d stay up here if I were you, this won’t take long.” Damon wriggled with the chair leg, but stopped as he felt the splinters digging deeper into his chest. Stefan quietly shut the door behind him and disappeared from sight. 

Damon remained stuck to the wall panting, and trying to limit the blood seeping out of the gash in his abdomen. Damon tried to reach and grab it, but the muscles twitched from his forearm to stomach and he stopped in the pain. His feet scrabbled to keep their place as he dangled slightly off the floor. His head snapped to the door as he heard footsteps along the corridor. 

“Hey.” He croaked out. The door swung opened to reveal Rebekah, staring at him very confused. She stepped in, examining the wooden shaft sticking out of his chest. 

“Well, what did you do now?” Rebekah asked wandering towards him, but making no attempt to pluck the stick out of his chest. Damon grunted in response to her smug smile. 

“Yeah, because I got bored and impaled myself on the wall with a chair leg.” Damon coughed out, before Rebekah reached over and pulled it out. Damon fell to his knees as the obstruction was removed from his stomach, he slowly let his body heal, before climbing back to his feet and grabbing his jeans.

“Who did this?” Rebekah asked, the stake still in her arms, which were folded across her body, impatiently tapping her toes on the floor at him.

“Stefan’s here.” Damon told her. “He’s looking for Kol.” 

“I didn’t hear him…” She began, before trailing off and looking out the door. She quickly sped out of the entrance, and along the corridor, with Damon following her shortly behind. 

When they arrived at the top of the stairs to look down in the living room they saw Kol, held in place by Elena and Stefan, and Jeremy looming over him with the White Oak Stake. Kol was dangling in their arms, his bare chest pink and blotchy and his face coated in blisters. The bitter smell in the room told them they were caused by vervain burns. Jeremy was standing his arm pulled back ready to delve the stake into Kol’s chest.

“Do it now, Jeremy.” Elena told her brother, gripping on to the struggling Original, as Kol tried to break free of their hold. 

“No!” Rebekah screamed from the top of the stairs, flashing down to the base of the stairs and ramming her hand into Elena’s throat, dragging her backwards, so her spine slammed into the far wall. Elena cried for help as she wriggled in the hold. Jeremy was running over to her quickly and held the stake high, ready to ram it into the Original Sister. Damon rushed down the stairs and caught him just as the tip stabbed itself into Rebekah’s back. Damon shattered Jeremy’s arm, as he ripped the stake from his hands, sending the young Gilbert tumbling to the floor. Rebekah fell to the floor, shards of the White Oak Stake still jutting out of her back. Elena and Rebekah’s bodies lay on the floor side by side and Damon watched as their bodies heaved together in their pain. Damon quickly plucked Rebekah up from the floor and lifted her in his arms turning back around to look at Kol. 

Kol had broken free of Stefan’s hold and had thrown him across the room, before continuing to pummel his fist in to his head. Kol’s skin had returned to a reddish hew, but was still sore and burned. 

“Kol, help me.” Rebekah cried from her curled position in Damon’s arms. Kol released his grip upon the younger Salvatore and flashed over to Damon’s side, before collecting his sister from him. Damon could see the rage in Kol’s eyes, but Rebekah’s writhing body in his arms, pulled him back in to the room, enough for him to dash out of the Salvatore Mansion. Damon looked once more at the broken Gilberts that lay around his feet. Damon looked at Elena twisting upon the floor and almost bent down to help her, until he heard Stefan beginning to stand back up on the other side of the room. 

Damon rushed out of the door, grabbing his jacket, and followed the screaming voice of Rebekah calling on to the wind, as he tracked the two Originals back towards her house.


	6. Family Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damon gets caught up as the Mikaelson's try to work out their plan of action.

Damon caught up with them outside of Rebekah’s house, halfway across town. The lights of the House had been flung on sporadically and Damon could hear the cries echoing from inside, and was grateful the building was isolated in the town. Damon entered through the door which had been left open and worked his way to where he found Rebekah lying on her side on the table, blood still trickling for her back. Kol was nowhere to be seen. 

Damon rushed over to her and examined the wound, trying to see where the shards were. He felt a hand on the back of his jacket and was flung against the wall behind him, before a hand closed around his windpipe. Kol was choking Damon’s gullet, crunching his larynx beneath his grip. Damon could see Kol’s eyes filled with rage, the black veins beneath them pulsing heavily, whilst his lips were drawn back into an animalistic snarl. Kol’s arm was shaking with the pressure he was exerting onto Damon’s body. 

“Did your brother put you up to this?” Kol questioned. “Was this whole evening one massive trap.” Kol asked, tracing the part of Damon’s chest where his heart was. 

“Kol…” Rebekah screamed. “It wasn’t him.” Rebekah’s body shook as another shard shifted into her back. Kol dropped Damon to the ground and rushed to Rebekah’s body, before picking up one of the large chopping knives, and cutting into her back, earning a cry from her. Damon stumbled to his feet and dashed over to her, as he stood beside Kol. 

“Let me do it.” Damon said, forcing Kol aside. “Rebekah, where are your tweezers or anything?” 

“Bag, upstairs.” Rebekah told him through gritted teeth. Damon quickly rushed up the stairs and into Rebekah’s bathroom, quickly finding her bag and yanking the pair of tweezers out. Damon rushed downstairs and quickly began to pluck at the small splinters in her back. 

“Oww.” She screamed as Damon dug deeper into her back. 

“Easy Princess, there’s only a few left.” He told her before delving in again. Rebekah’s body shuddered. 

“I swear to god, if you lodge any of these permanently inside me, I will rip your spine out through your mouth.” Rebekah threatened through gritted teeth. Damon simply plucked another splinter out, as painfully as he could. Rebekah groaned in pain.

“Oops.” He told her. 

After a while of slowly cleaning Rebekah’s scar, Damon threw the tweezers into the sink and moved over to the fridge to find a few bags of blood piled up at the back. Damon grabbed one and tour it open, before passing it to Rebekah who keenly began to drink. Damon scanned the room and realised that Kol was nowhere to be seen. Damon quickly dashed through the rooms trying to find where Kol had hidden himself, but could find no trace of him in the house. He returned to the kitchen and found Rebekah sitting upright on the central counter top, and tossing away the blood bag she had drained. 

“Where’s Kol?” He asked. 

“He left about the time you went upstairs.” She informed him, before gesturing for him to grab her another blood bag. Damon rolled his eyes, but moved over to the fridge and grabbed her another pouch tossing it in her direction. 

“I’m gonna go look for him, we don’t know what’s going on with Stefan and the others.” Damon said before examining Rebekah’s cut once more. 

“I’m fine Damon.” She said, standing up. “Go and find Kol before he does something stupid, I have things I need to do.” She gestured him to the door, and Damon sped out after grabbing Rebekah’s keys from the bowl by the exit. 

***** 

The Sun was nearly up when Damon finally pulled up outside the Gilbert House and saw Kol surrounded by shattered pieces of picket-fence. Damon jumped out of the car and rushed over to him. Kol didn’t acknowledge his arrival, instead throwing another shaft through one of the higher windows of the house. 

“Hey, easy there, that kills people.” Damon joked, placing his hand on Kol’s shoulder. Kol almost threw another but dropped it to the floor before turning to face Damon and kissing him intensely. Damon reciprocated, although he could feel that his skin was still blistered from the vervain earlier. Kol pulled away slightly after the contact. 

“I’m sorry for earlier.” He told him, as he walked away from Damon and towards the broken pile of wood he had constructed from the wreckage of the Gilbert’s garden. “I shouldn’t have attacked you – I just-” Damon stopped him before he could continue. 

“Let’s get out of here.” Damon said, before motioning to the car. Kol kicked over his pile of wood and followed him over to the car. “What are you doing here?” Damon continued. “I looked for you at the Salvatore place, but I couldn’t find you.” 

“I just wanted to hurt them, the way they hurt her, and I will.” Kol assured him. “I will make them beg for death before the end.” Damon could still see a slight reddish tint to his skin and he wondered how much vervain his brother had actually fed Kol. 

*****

When they returned to the house they found all of the lights on and silhouettes moving inside. Kol immediately rushed in, believing someone was attacking Rebekah. Damon quickly followed suit until he arrived in the kitchen and discovered Kol stationary, staring into the room. Damon moved around him to discover Klaus and Elijah standing guard either side of Rebekah, who had returned to slumping against the kitchen counter. Before Damon could react, Klaus had sped through the room and begun to choke him, forcing him on to his back on the floor. 

“Well, isn’t this a treat.” Klaus said looming over him. “Looks like I’ll get to kill someone tonight after all.”

“Release him Niklaus.” Damon heard Elijah command from across the room. 

“You’ve only just returned to town, I’m not entirely sure I want to follow your orders.” Klaus informed Elijah, whilst increasing his choke on Damon. 

“I’m here because our beloved sister, asked me to be here, and as for the boy, we have more important things to be discussing.” Elijah informed him, moving to materialize over Klaus and Damon. Klaus simply released Damon and sped out of the room. “Kol, be a dear and go and fetch our brother back will you.” Elijah requested, before Kol moved to peer over his shoulder, it didn’t appear he was going to move again until Elijah cocked his head to look at him. 

Once Kol had dashed away to follow Klaus, Elijah offered his hand to Damon, helping him off the floor. However, as soon as he was back on his feet, Elijah pulled him in closely so their faces were mere inches away. 

“The only reason you’re here is because I need someone to stay with Rebekah as I don’t trust that your companions won’t make a second attack, and the only reason I trust you is because my dear sister informed me you were monumental in helping my siblings get out of that house in one piece.” Elijah didn’t move an inch but his eyes continued to dart around Damon’s face. “If this trust is misplaced I will not hesitate to make you an example of you to the rest of the cohort that has assemble in Mystic Falls against my family, do I make myself, quite, clear?” Elijah didn’t wait for a response instead circling back around to Rebekah. “Sister, I’m going to get some more information, I shall return later.” He told her before moving away. 

“Watch out Elijah, they have the stake.” She told him. 

“Have no fear, Elena and I have – an understanding – I will be home soon, keep control of our brothers till I am.” He informed her, before speeding out. Damon looked at Rebekah, who got up and moved away into the living room. He followed her through, unsure what he was supposed to be doing. 

“Go and find Kol and help him bring Klaus back.” Rebekah commanded after a second of impatiently pacing the living room.

“Okay, I’m not exactly going to start taking orders from you and I’m definitely not going to go and try to control Kol and Klaus.” Damon laughed before going to make himself a drink, he selected a glass and plucked it up. 

“For better or worse we both still love Stefan, and if Kol or Klaus get a hold on him he’s going to be even deader than he is now.” Damon looked at her considering her statement. “I’ll be fine,” she continued, “go and save our families.”


	7. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elena, Jeremy, Bonnie and Stefan all try to work out their next course of action, but they're surprised by an unexpected guest.

“We are so screwed!” Jeremy exclaimed to the others as he paced the tiles of the kitchen floor, clutching his broken wrist to his chest. Elena was leaning against the kitchen counter her eyes fixed to a spot on the floor, whilst Bonnie and Stefan hovered in opposite corners of the room. Elena could hear the pounding of Jeremy’s heart echoing. Jeremy circled the centre counter and moved over to where Elena was – paused – then turned back around and moved towards Bonnie and Stefan and continued to pace. “We are so screwed.” He repeated. 

“Okay, Jeremy just calm down.” Elena told him standing up from her slouched position. After a moment’s hesitation, she turned directly to Jeremy. “Jer, go upstairs and pack a few things – we’re going to the lake house for a few days.”

“What, now?” Bonnie asked.

“It’s the safest place for us, Bonnie, it’s isolated – so we won’t risk anyone else getting hurt and none of the Originals are invited in. Jeremy go make sure you’ve got the stake upstairs, grab a bag and come back” Elena said, before signalling for him to go. 

“You’re forgetting the small fact that Damon has been invited in.” Stefan informed her moving, from his seclusion in the corner. “And we still don’t know what he’s doing. He broke Jeremy’s wrist in the last fight and stopped us killing Kol and Rebekah, I’m not sure if going somewhere he can get to Jeremy easily is the right option.” Stefan told her.

“We can deal with Damon later.” 

“I’m just sorry you guys had to start this without me.” Bonnie said shaking her head. “If I’d been there Kol would be a pile of ash and we would all be getting out of here.”

“It’s okay Bonnie.” Elena told her. “Right now, our priority is working out a new way to get to the cure.”

“I’m afraid that’s the least of your worries.” A voice announced from down the hallway leading to the kitchen. Elena’s body stiffened at the serene tone thick with an English accent resounding into the room. Darting forward, Stefan tried to block the passage; however he froze as he was caught in a choke hold by a man in a suit, who matched his speed into the room. The suited may calmly constricted his hand around the vampire’s throat. 

“Elena, run.” Stefan choked. 

“That won’t be necessary.” Elijah informed them as he tightened his hold on Stefan’s neck. “I just want to have a little talk about your evening’s endeavours.”

“Elena we can’t trust him, get out.” Stefan reiterated. 

“On the contrary, I’m finding the only other trustworthy person in Mystic Falls of late is your brother Damon.” Elijah informed them before turning his focus to the wriggling man in his grip. 

“I fear you’re proving to be a nuisance – I believe it would be best for a quiet word with Elena.” Elijah said, quickly jerking his hand around Stefan’s neck so an audible crack sounded through the room. Bonnie had begun to shift from her position in the corner, and Elena could see she was summoning her magic. 

“I’m afraid that includes you too.” Elijah informed the young witch, slamming his arm into her and sending her flying into the wall behind her. Her body slid lifelessly to the ground. “Now,” Elijah whispered, turning back to Elena, “where were we?”

“El-Elijah.” Elena stammered, as she backed away from him. “What are you doing?” 

“I feel like I should be asking you that.” He replied, re-adjusting his cuffs as he stepped closer to her. “When I left Mystic Falls, you were level headed and focused on trying to save your family, now you seem hell bent on putting them in unnecessary mortal danger in your ludicrous search for the cure.” 

“You don’t understand. Kol’s gone crazy – killing anyone that’s searching for The Cure – he threatened Jeremy.” 

“From what I hear it’s your family that’s been trying to kill mine after last night’s misdemeanours.” Elijah said closing the final steps between them so his shadow fell across Elena. 

“Elijah, please –” Elena said pressing her hands to his chest. 

“I’m finding it hard to believe a word you say Elena,” Elijah informed her ramming his fist through the counter top sending shards of wood into the air, “I’m afraid your new found immortality sensibility does not suit you.”

“Elijah you don’t understand, I need this Cure, otherwise I’ll – ”

“Otherwise you’ll never get the life you believe you deserve?” Elijah reasoned taking a step away from her and removing his wrist from the wooden table top. “And what of my family Elena, what of their right to live?” He turned back to face her. 

“Elijah, I’m sorry, we shouldn’t have tried that last night, but we won’t stop.”

“You mean you won’t be giving up on your idiotic quest for the cure?” Elijah lifted his stair so their eyes locked and Elena could see the pupils of his eyes swell into dark black orbs. Elena stumbled back, gripping the counter top as her body tightened in fear. “A pity.” Elijah took another step closer and Elena felt a low growl begin to resonate in her chest. 

Elijah extended his hand towards her, then clenched it and recoiled it against his head. Elijah screamed as his eyes tightened and his body began to shake. Relief surged through her as Elena saw Bonnie climbing to her feet in the corner, her hand extended towards the Original, her eyes fixed with a cold glare upon him. 

“Elena, run.” Bonnie told her through gritted teeth, as Elena tried to dart her way past the weakened Original. Despite his half-blind daze, Elijah quickly reached out and gripped his knuckles around Elena’s neck. Elena gasped as he threw her once again in to the corner. Elijah staggered towards her growling and shaking. Elena parried his next assault, but caught a glimpse of Jeremy dashing back into the kitchen – the white oak stake in his left hand. He darted across the room, drawing his arm back as he prepared to drive the stake in to the attacker. 

“Jeremy, wait!” Elena cried. Too late Elijah wheeled round to find Jeremy planting the White Oak Stake into his rib cage. Elijah gasped, his arms flailing, trying to grip his killer. Jeremy fled back as the shard of wood began to ignite and Elijah’s formal suit erupted into a shimmering glow of orange and red. Elena shielded herself as the Original turned back towards her, a harrowing scream emerging from his now shapeless face. 

Within seconds the lifeless husk had collapsed to the floor in a pile of blackened ash. Elena rushed over to Jeremy who was stood shaking in the doorway. Bonnie moved from her spot in the corner and went to hug him too, so their three bodies were pressed tightly together in the shadowy doorway, mere feet from the burned corpse. 

***** 

Bonnie examined the mark that had emerged over Jeremy’s arm and torso, and was now dancing across his skin for all to see. Stefan was awake again and sitting silently after Elena had explained the events in the kitchen to him, since he’d been knocked out. 

“What do we do now?” Jeremy asked as Bonnie traced the black lines with her finger. 

“We go and find The Cure.” Bonnie told him, before looking at Elena for confirmation.

“What about Kol? What about Rebekah and Klaus?”Jeremy questioned, suddenly aware of his actions. 

“As soon as we have the cure, we won’t need to worry about that.” Stefan informed him. 

“We have to get there first.” Jeremy exclaimed, moving himself away from Bonnie and towards the others. “If Kol was pissed before, what do you think he’s going to do now?”

“Stefan’s right, Jer.” Elena finally interjected. “We need to go find the cure.” She turned to Bonnie. “Bonnie, you call Shane and tell him to meet us at the Grill, Stefan go start the car, Jeremy and I will go grab the bags. We’ve got to get out of Mystic Falls.”


	8. I'm Going to Kill Them

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kol and Damon reassert there feelings and make a discovery.

The Sun was creeping through the trees when Damon finally caught up with Kol. He had been tracking his scent all over town, and it had eventually stopped near the Lockwood Cellar. Damon could feel the morning sun on his skin as he descended into the darkness of the underground vault. 

“Kol?” Damon asked, his eyes adjusting as he searched for the other vampire in the blackness. He took a few steps forward and heard Kol exhale as he threw a stone, and embedded it in the far wall. He took no notice as Damon strode closer to him. Damon stretched a hand and planted it on his shoulder. Kol paused for a split-second, then continued to throw his rocks into the earthen edge of the cellar. “Kol, what are you doing?” Damon asked taking the remaining stones out of his hands and dropping them to the ground. Kol half-snarled at the other vampire, before nudging past him and moving towards the metal cell across the room. 

“I was looking for Klaus, but then I realised there was no point. He doesn’t care about stopping Silas. He doesn’t care about the Cure, or Me or Bekah, he just cares about getting his Hybrids back.” Kol slumped down – his back to the metal bars, his face turned towards the entrance of the cellar. Damon moved over and slumped down beside him. 

“So you decided to come down here, and sulk?” Damon mocked, but thought better of it as Kol looked at him, his eyes cold. In a flash Kol had his hand gripped around Damon’s neck, craning it upwards, his eyes glaring into the younger vampire’s. 

“I want them dead.” He said, unfeeling. “I want them all dead.” Kol loosened his grip. And Damon’s neck returned to normal. Kol’s eyes were still cold, but Damon could see an apologetic glint in the corner, a look he remembered being familiar with back in 1914. Damon slipped his hand against Kol’s chest, weaving his fingers around the collar of his shirt. 

“I think you need to relax.” Damon informed him, tearing Kol’s shirt open to reveal his pale flesh beneath. Kol’s eyes were suddenly fierce and burnt with desire. Without hesitation the Original lurched at Damon’s throat, his lips tracing the flesh and his fingers digging into the nape of his neck. Damon moaned as Kol’s teeth bit down on the tight skin of his jugular. Damon felt his blood slowly seeping into Kol’s warm mouth and gripped tighter around the Original’s neck pulling him closer.   
Kol retracted, pulling up to look Damon in the eyes, a trickle of black blood escaping at the corner of his lips. The pair locked lips, the precious black liquid passing between them, as Kol leaned his body closer to Damon’s. With a rip, Damon’s shirt was open and being shrugged off his shoulders by Kol, who began to kiss down his body. Damon shivered with the contact as Kol licked along his obliques working down to the ‘v’ where his waist met his pelvis. Kol opened his jeans, and pulled Damon’s erection from within, immediately devouring it. Damon arched as Kol swallowed the entire length of it in one. Damon thrust slightly upwards, feeling his shaft make contact inside the other vampire. Kol removed it and slid his way up so his lips again wrapped against Damon’s. 

The pair hurriedly panted as Damon rolled Kol onto his back, unzipping and dragging the jeans from the Original’s hips. Damon went to work on Kol, who groaned as the vampire speedily sucked his shaft. Damon’s rhythmic motion forced Kol’s body to lift slightly off the floor and ripple up, pulling Damon up so both of their naked torsos were pressed tightly together. The two kissed, their arms gripping around the other and morphing their bodies. 

Kol lifted Damon up and pressed him into the cold, iron bars of the cell so his flesh was crushed against the hard metal. Kol traced the lines of Damon’s chest kissing each crevice and contour as he explored his lover’s body. Damon wove his hand through Kol’s hair, but felt himself being turned around so his hands were gripping on to the metal beams, his head resting against the solid frame of the cell. 

Without any warning Damon felt Kol slip inside him. Damon screamed in a mixture of pain and surprise. Kol passionately massaged Damon’s shoulders with his lips as he wrapped his hand around and caressed the other vampires shaft, whilst thrusting rhythmically deeper and deeper inside. Kol’s rhythm quickened and his strokes became more vigorous, and Damon knew his lover was close. He relaxed trying to enjoy the painful pleasure as he felt Kol finish inside him, sending vibrant spasms all over his body, and causing him too to release all over the stone floor of the room. The pair gently panted as Kol thrust twice more and pulled out, turning Damon back around and kissing him fervently. As the hush of their bodies filled the room, they became aware of a subtle beeping in the background. Kol scrambled over to his jeans and found the display signalling he had missed three calls from Rebekah. Damon came over to join him, kissing his shoulder and peering at the other vampire’s phone. 

“We should go.” He informed him moving to grab his clothes. Kol silently went over and joined him. Damon could sense there was something still lingering in the Original’s mind, but decided this wasn’t the place to push him as they had something else to focus on, but as he turned to leave the cellar, Kol grabbed his wrist and looked deep into his eyes. Damon saw something he had not seen in Kol’s eyes before and almost smiled at the affection. Kol, went to talk and stopped himself, before uttering two words. 

“Thank You.” 

*****

“When did you last hear from Elijah?” Kol spat, frustration thick in his tone. 

“Where’s Niklaus?” Rebekah retorted, avoiding Kol’s question. 

“How did you lose him, he’s only been in town one night?” Kol berated her, pacing around the kitchen. 

“I was injured, you only had one job Kol – bring our brother back – but from the smell of it,” Rebekah said sniffing in Damon’s direction with a slightly unimpressed expression on her face, “you got a bit side-tracked.” 

“I’m sorry our brother was a bit too busy running away for me to find him.” Kol replied. 

“Oh, for Godsake!” Damon interjected, stepping between the siblings. “You guys are really missing the point here.” 

“Oh, piss off Damon.” Rebekah said before throwing a glass at him, although Damon caught it and put it aside. 

“No.” Kol interjected before Rebekah could find another object to throw. “He’s right sister, we just need to find Elijah, and work out what our next move is.” Kol informed her, his tone calmer and more controlled. He then turned and left to go outside, quickly followed by the others.

By the time they found their brother’s car, they could smell he had gone into the Gilbert House and moved to the door. They inspected it and ascertained the home was empty. The trio walked up to the door, but Kol and Rebekah found it blocked. Kol angrily chucked a loose flower pot at the door, but it simply shattered against the wooden frame. 

“I got it.” Damon said, pushing past the pair and trying to tell Kol to calm down, before entering the house. Once inside he moved quietly through the hall into the living room, but found no trace of anyone. He circled into the kitchen and froze. The sight of the White Oak Stake emerging from the chest of a charred body. Damon moved closer and saw that it was truly inanimate and shuddered at the realisation that his brother and former allies had killed Elijah. 

“Damon?” Kol called from the entrance. “Have you found anything?” Damon’s silence prompted him to question further. “What is it? What have you found?” Damon ripped the stake from his chest and moved back towards the door. The Originals saw the stake in his hands and both looked momentarily alarmed before there looks turned to confusion. 

“Damon where did you find that?” Rebekah asked. Damon’s silence answered her fears. “Where’s Elijah?” Silence. Rebekah froze, tears beginning to well in her eyes. Kol on the other hand delved his hand into the wall beside the door frame and retracted it covered in brick and splinters. 

“I’m going to kill them.” He informed Damon, before turning back to the car. Damon emerged from the house and moved after him, passing Rebekah, and following down the stairs of the porch. 

“We’ve got bigger problems.” Damon told him. 

“Oh trust me, finding them will not be a problem.”

“No, if Jeremy killed Elijah, then they’ll have a way to find The Cure.” Damon told Kol, grabbing his hand and stopping him as he reached for his car door. Kol wheeled towards him. 

“What are you talking about?”

“He’s right Kol.” Rebekah said monotonously, tears still pouring down her cheeks as she chased after them. “If Jeremy killed Elijah, then he’s killed his entire sireline – that’s more than enough to finish his Hunter’s Mark and find The Cure. They could be going there right now.” Kol slammed the car door behind him and looked at the pair. 

“Then what do we do. We have no Hunter, we have no witch. How are we going to find them?” Kol questioned. Damon avoided his gaze fumbling in his pockets and laying his hand on his phone. He quickly whipped it out and looked at it. Suddenly he knew what to do. 

“I can track Elena’s phone. She set me up as her back up phone so I can track it.” Damon informed them. 

“What?” Kol asked, impatient with confusion.

“When we…when me and her were together she kept losing her phone, she kept losing it,” Damon explained mashing on the keyboard. The little map popped up and showed Elena’s phone, “so she set me up as the backup so I can log in to her phone and find where she is. We can track wherever they are.” Kol snatched the phone from Damon’s hand looked at it. 

“Get in the car.” Kol informed the pair.


	9. The Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rebekah searches the Island for any trace of the Cure

Sunlight clawed its way through the maze of thin, bare trees which cluttered the island and illuminated the ground in a cool white light. There hadn’t been any signs of life since the trio had dismounted from their boat, and begun to weave their way through the island. When they arrived they found the two boats the Mystic Falls gang had left on the beach. They looked as though they had arrived sometime the night before and Rebekah had decided to split off from the love-birds to cover more ground. However, since then she hadn’t heard so much as a distant cry to show any trace of their targets. 

Rebekah was beginning to spend the time day-dreaming about what she would do when she got her hands on Elena and the rest of them, and thought that she would first ram the cure down her throat before anything else. A smile danced across her lips as she considered the look on the doppelgangers face as the vampire blood drained out of her system and her body returned to its frail mortal form.

Whilst wandering and thinking what she would do with the rest of the group, her eyes caught a glimpse of a pale trickle of grey smoke weaving its way higher into the sky. She sped forward finding a small building surrounded by tents and a slowly dying fire. Rebekah moved closer trying to catch the scent of any of the inhabitants, but couldn’t find anything. She sifted through the bags that were lying near the tents and knew they belonged to Elena, Stefan and Jeremy, although she could tell that Bonnie and Shane had also been there by the scents which were weaved amongst the shelters. 

Rebekah searched around the camp and was surprised to find the sudden smell of blood in the air. She sped towards it, following a faint foot path out of camp. The trail took her back out into the woods and the empty trees until she stopped by a corpse lying lifeless on the earth. Rebekah cautiously approached and could see the skin had turned an ashen grey like curdled milk and veins were wrapping their way around the visible flesh. The corpse was lying head down on the ground and the face was concealed under a mess of brown hair. Rebekah had feeling she knew who the body belonged to, but tossed the body over anyway. She recognised the face as Elena’s, and noted its lifeless expression. Rebekah could see it had been dead for a while by the dry blood that was trickling from her mouth, and she went to close her eyes. 

Rebekah knelt down and examined Elena’s body. She realised that there was a small cavity in her chest, and blood had pooled around it. Rebekah could tell that her heart had been removed and she was filled with a sudden rage that someone had gotten to kill Elena before she had the chance. Rebekah considered the idea that Stefan had finally grown tired of her constant moaning and decided to kill the new vampire, but something in Rebekah’s gut made her doubt it. 

The prang of a twig behind her caused Rebekah to jump up and turn to face the new sound. She saw a man, crossbow raised to his shoulder, aiming for her. Her hand darted up and caught the wooden shaft that had sailed through the air to pause an inch from her chest. She tossed it in her hand so the arrow head pointed away from her and hurled it at her assailant, piercing his thigh. He fell to his knee grabbing his leg and letting out a cry. He was a blond man dressed in a camouflage jacket, with stakes chained across his chest in two diagonal lines descending from his shoulders. 

Rebekah rushed over to where he was now on the ground and wrapped her arm around his neck, trapping him in a head lock. The man struggled gripping his hands around her arm and grunting in discomfort. 

“Well that wasn’t very friendly now, was it?” Rebekah told the man as he continued to wriggle. Rebekah looked down at him, and caught a glimpse of a mesh of black ink extending from his wrist all the way up his forearm and disappearing out of sight. “Oh for the love of – You’re a Hunter?” She asked, shocked and annoyed. 

“You got me.” He replied in a thick Scottish accent. Rebekah loosened her grip and the man took his right hand and pulled a stake from his belt and rammed it into her leg. Rebekah released her hold and the Hunter rolled away from her. 

“Who are you?” Rebekah asked pulling the wooden shard from her leg and throwing it away into the trees. 

“The name’s Galen Vaughn – and I’m the man that will be killing you.” He said rushing, plucking up his crossbow and firing another bolt at her. It jutted up into her chest and winded her, forcing her back against a tree. Galen swiftly came face-to-face with her and tried to stab a stake deep into her heart again, but she dodged him, grabbing his back and smacking his head against the trunk. Galen stumbled for a few seconds, before Rebekah landed another punch to his face, and caused him to crumple down before the grey trunk. 

*****

When the Hunter reawakened, he was confused to find himself bound in the ropes he had brought with him. He struggled in his binds but found Rebekah glaring down at him. She had been waiting patiently for him to regain consciousness since she had knocked him out. 

“What are you doing here?” Rebekah asked him. 

“Go to hell.” Galen replied, turning his face away from her. Rebekah sped over and gripped his chin twisting his face back to look at her. 

“I asked you a question.” She told him. 

“You can’t compel me, remember.” He told her, smugly smiling to himself. 

“I might not be able to compel it out of you, but I have other ways.” She told him, before plucking an arrow out of his quiver and jabbing it into his side. The hunter cried in pain again. 

“Okay, fine, I’ll tell you.” He replied, the pain pulsing through his nerves. “I’m here to get the cure and kill Silas.”

“What do you know about Silas?” She asked. 

“I know he needs to be stopped, such is the mission of The Brotherhood of the Five.” He told her, trying to reclaim his composure from his brief torture. 

“Then our plans aren’t so different.” Rebekah informed him. “I want to get the cure and you want to use the cure on Silas. We don’t have to be enemies.” She finished, before the man began to chortle to himself. “What’s so funny?”

“There’s only one Cure.” He informed her. “Only one way to kill Silas.” He said before continuing to laugh. Rebekah clenched his jaw in her hand and looked in to his eyes, seeing no trace of a lie there. She quickly yanked the arrow out of his wound, bit into her wrist and placed it on Galen’s lips. The man uncomfortably suckled on her vein until the injury was healed. She then climbed to her feet and moved away back towards the camp. 

“What? You’re just leaving me here?” Galen called after her as Rebekah left him abandoned beside the tree trunk.


	10. The Cave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damon and Kol arrive at the end of their search to stopping Silas and the Cure being found.

Damon darted through the trees after Kol, trying to keep up with him as he scoured the island for any trace of where Stefan and the others had gone. They had been patrolling for hours and hadn’t seen anything to help them find out where the others were. Damon caught up with him when he was paused beside a tall tree inspecting the ground. Damon squatted down and tried to mimic Kol as he examined the ground. 

“What are you looking at?” Damon asked. 

“Foot prints.” Kol informed him, pointing at a faint trail of indents in the earth. Damon looked after them astounded. 

“How did you do that?” Damon asked impressed and surprised. 

“I spent some time as a tracker in the 13th Century.” He told him, standing up so the pair of them could to begin to follow the foot prints. Trekking forward through the trees they were blocked by a blur, which sped into them, ramming Kol off his feet. Damon paused and looked as the Original flew to the side, before having a face appear before him. 

“Hello, brother.” Stefan greeted him, before wrapping his hands around Damon’s neck and snapping it. Stefan released him and Damon’s body fell to the ground in front of him. Kol climbed back to his feet and stared at Stefan who had circled round to face him. Stefan ran at him, but Kol simply stretched his arms around Stefan’s waist, lifting him up and throwing him towards a tree a few feet away. Stefan gasped and reached towards his abdomen where a sharp branch was now jutting out. He struggled to free himself, but felt the branch digging deeper into his flesh. Stefan moaned as Kol took steps towards him, slowly closing the gap as he inspected Stefan’s weakened form. 

“Looks like you’re in a little bit of trouble, mate.” Kol informed him, placing a hand against his chest and shoving him down further towards the tree trunk. Stefan strained to free himself, but felt the wood cut a jagged line upwards into him as Kol tightened his grip. 

“Just kill me and get it over with.” Stefan told him. “The others are probably already at the Cure by now, so it doesn’t matter what you do to me.”

“Oh, I don’t want to kill you.” Kol informed him. “I mean – I do,” he corrected, “there’s nothing I’d enjoy more than ripping your disloyal heart from your fragile little chest, but I know if I kill you Damon and my sister will have all these irritating feelings of grief and guilt over you dying. And then they might even find some feelings of hate and resentment towards me for just doing you a favour and putting you out of the misery your life has become, so no Stefan, I’m not going to kill you. I am, however, going to leave you strung up there like a scarecrow, so if you see my darling sister, let her know where we’re going will you.” Kol told him with a wink, before circling around and helping Damon to stand, before slinging him over his shoulder. Kol gave Stefan one last look as he struggled with the branch, then darted away carrying Damon in the direction the foot prints led. 

*****

When they arrived at the cave Damon had woken back up and was nursing his neck as the two entered. They had descended the rock face and entered the cave through a break in the stone. Once inside the cave, Kol and Damon had worked there way down a long thin passage carved into the mountain. The walls pressed in on them as they passed until they arrived in a small cavern surrounding a large hole in the ground. A beam of light was shinning down from above them and coating the fissure in a pool of light. 

Damon inspected the apparatus that had been erected to allow someone to abseil down into the heart of the caves. He looked over the edge and tried to catch a glimpse of what was dwelling down at the base of the rope, but couldn’t see anything outside the small ring of light. Damon listened and couldn’t hear anything echoing from inside the hole. He looked at Kol, who had come to stand by him, and leapt down into the hole descending into the darkness below. Damon quickly followed suit, leaping into the abyss. 

Once down in the pit, Damon looked around and couldn’t see any trace of Elena or the others who had come down before. Kol was searching around the large open cavern. Damon could see how it reached up high above them, not visible except for the column of life shimmering down. The walls of the cavern were far reaching, one side was completely solid and appeared to have some pictograms and writing on it. Another wall was across a large chasm that descended into blackness even deeper than where they were. The other two walls were the same except both had a single passageway on them, one which appeared to ascend up the rock face, another which carried straight on into the mine. Damon examined them trying to hear any sign of life within. After several moments of struggling to decide, Kol began to stride away from him. 

“You stay here and wait for Rebekah, I’ll go check the tunnels.” He instructed. Damon began to step after him. 

“What if you find the others, have you forgotten what happened to Elijah?” Damon asked, but then suddenly regretted it, he could feel Kol’s eyes turn icy cold and stare even before the Original sped over to stand inches from him. 

“I love you, but make no mistake, do not think to caution me again.” Kol told him examining his face. Damon’s eyes remained defiant, staring back. Kol relented and placed his lips against Damon’s trying to apologies the only way he had learned how. “I’m-” He whispered his forehead resting against Damon’s for a second before he began to move again. “Wait here, I’ll be back.” He instructed and began to stride towards the ascending passage way on the far wall. Damon looked after him, then, gave up and began to circulate the cavern. 

He examined the pictograms, but couldn’t decipher what any of it meant except a few characters he assumed related to Silas or some sort of Devil. He wandered back over towards the great crater besides the wall and gazed down. It wasn’t as deep a fall as the one Kol and he had leapt down to travel from the surface to where he was now, but it was fathomless enough that it was impossible to see anything clearly. He was peering over the edge when he felt a hand gently slip on to his shoulder.

“Damon.” The voice sent shudders through him as Damon turned around to see who it belonged to and saw with dismay Elena was standing there. 

“Elena, what are you doing?” Damon asked, shaking free of her. 

“I’ve got the Cure, we need to get out?” She told him taking his hand. 

“Where are Jeremy and Bonnie?” Damon asked looking around the room trying to see if they had followed Elena out. 

“They’re in the passages, they’ll catch up.” She told him tugging his arm to follow her. 

“Elena, stop.” Damon said pulling himself free. “Have you forgotten what we talked about before we came here?” He asked her. Elena looked back at him in wide-eyed disbelief. 

“Damon? Come on, we need to go. What’s wrong, don’t you love me anymore.” She said, pleading with her eyes as she came back and took his hands. Damon looked at her trying to understand what was going through her mind. Then suddenly he understood. He shot his hand up gripping her wrist. 

“Katherine.” He declared. A smile stretched across her lips as she relaxed into his hold. 

“Damon, it’s been too long.” She said playfully. “I was hoping we could both get out of this, but maybe not.” She told him, before breaking out of his hold and tossing him to the side, away from the chasm. Damon looked up at her as her eyes began shift and veins popped out from beneath. As she took a step closer, Damon felt a gust of air and saw Katherine being hoisted up off the ground. She began to gasp as Kol’s hand dug itself into Katherine’s throat. 

“Katherine. What an unpleasant surprise.” He told her. “Now, what to do with you?” He asked to no one in particular. “My personal vote is just to decapitate you, but I feel that Klaus is going to want to kill you himself. Damon what do you want to do?”Kol asked not taking his gaze from the vampire in his grip. Damon got up to stand beside him and the pair examined Katherine as she squirmed in the Original’s hand. Damon looked at Katherine and saw a small box clutched in her hands. 

“I’ll be taking this.” He told her grabbing it out of her grip and opening it. He discovered a small capsule of red liquid inside. He pulled it out and held it in his palm. “Is this it?” He asked her, before a sudden howled-cry from one of the passages distracted them both, and caused them to turn their attention from their immediate hostage. Katherine freed herself and fled towards the pool of light. Damon looked after her, but gave up the chase as the stomping sound of foot steps approached. The pair inched closer to the passage the noises were coming from. 

As they got near to the dark entrance they saw the silhouette of a man shuffling down the hall towards them. He was wearing a long, faded robe and his complexion was ash grey. Initially Damon thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, until he was sure the man walking towards him was his brother. 

“Stefan?” Damon asked confused at his brother’s appearance. 

“Damon, wait.” Kol instructed, taking steps to put himself between his lover and the stranger. “I impaled your brother over ground, this is someone else.” Kol told him. Damon stared at the being moving closer in confusion until it opened its mouth to speak.

“Kol’s right Damon, I’m not you’re brother. You can call me Silas.” The man said in a croaked voice. 

“Silas.” Kol snarled, his face morphing and his teeth barring at the immortal as he ran at him. Silas simply smiled and lifted his hand sending Kol toppling into the ravine beside them. Damon stared at the now empty spot his lover had stood in. Damon turned himself back to the Immortal who matched his gaze. Damon darted forward rushing towards him. However, as he shoved his body into the man before him, he felt it melt away like steam escaping a sauna. The vision before him faded and Damon looked around trying to see where Silas had vanished to. 

“Missed.” The man informed him, standing a few meters behind him. Damon twisted and rushed back at him, but found the man disappeared as he touched him again. Damon twirled around trying to find him and spotted him standing back beside the passageway – and also next to the pool of light. Both images smirked at Damon smugly, earning an animalistic growl as Damon picked up two rocks and hastily hurled them at the mirages, which dissipated with contact.

Damon exhaled fiercely and heard a chuckle murmuring from behind him and he looked once more over his shoulder at the man who was standing beside the ravine. Damon threw another rock and watched as the man dodged it. Without flinching Damon rushed at the immortal and crushed into him, before spiralling over the edge and into the canyon. 

Damon clambered to his feet and examined the floor around him to see where Silas had landed. He found the body a few feet away, unconscious behind a boulder jutting upwards out of the rock. Damon leapt closer and plucked The Cure from his pocket, shoving it into the monster’s mouth and crushing it shut. The immortal opened it’s eyes in fear as The Cure began to surge through his system and Damon could see the pain streaking across his face before he passed out. The silence of the now unconscious immortal filled the canyon and Damon remained motionless staring at him for any further reaction to the potion now swirling through its veins. 

A monotonous clap broke the stillness from at top the cliff edge. Damon twisted to look up and saw a man standing above him smirking down. The face he saw confused him until the man began to talk. 

“Well Damon. Looks like you’ve screwed up again.” Silas called to him from high above. Damon looked back down and discovered the body lying below him had morphed from the face of Silas into the body of Kol. Damon shook the body below him as realisation filled his mind. 

“Kol? Kol, wake up.” He commanded, trying to rouse the Original from his slumber. 

“He’ll be fine.” Silas told him. “A little tired, but besides that fine. You on the other hand. You just lost your once chance at stopping me, and condemned your boyfriend to life as a mortal.” Silas gloated. Damon stood up and tried to climb up towards him, but couldn’t find the grips quickly enough. “And now, I’m going to leave you trapped here with only your lover to feed on. Good Luck.” He added as an after thought before disappearing out of sight. 

“Silas. Silas!” Damon screamed up at the now barren cliff top. The silence was enormous and Damon twisted back towards his lover who was lying on the floor. He clutched his body and attempted to wake him, but paused as he realised Kol’s now human heart had begun beating.


End file.
